National Park Week – Visit RMNP for Free!

To make it easier to experience America’s Great Outdoors, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees, so visitors can enjoy all 392 national parks for free April 17-25.

In addition, many national park concessioners are offering special promotions that are certain to add to your fun.

Quandary Peak Ski Descent Spring 14er Skiing!

April 10-11, 2010: This weekend Phil and I took off Saturday afternoon and went down to the Quandary Peak trailhead, just south of Breckenridge, up a switchback or two. We parked, hiked in a little ways (maybe .10 mile past the trailhead sign) and camped for the night. We got up in the morning and skinned up the ridge 3.3 miles 100% uphill (which made for a fast descent). The last bit up to the summit was very firm snow and maxed out the angle for skinning. Most people (including myself) clicked out (sacrilege, I know!). Phil cut wide switchbacks instead. The weather was beautiful – sunny, blue skies, with gusts of wind. It took us 4 hours and 15 minutes from our camp to the summit of Quandary Peak.

From the summit, instead of skiing the icy hard-packed ridge, we descended a perfect bowl to skier’s left. A few other parties were dropping in to the Cristo coulior directly from the summit. Got back to the tent about 1 hour later.

Quandary Peak is a novice colorado 14er descent, but very worthwhile, especially for skiers new to the backcountry.

Snowing!!!!!! Anyone up for skiing this weekend?

It’s snowing a beautiful snow up here in Estes. Expecting great things for this weekend! Call me if you want to slide in the National Park or Allenspark this weekend!

Eric and Teresa Visit – Snowshoeing in RMNP – Photos!

Eric and Teresa visited us this weekend and we went up into the national park. Visability was poor. Had about 1-4 inches of fresh snow and snow was falling as we hiked. Eric and Teresa borrowed snowshoes and Phil and I were on skis. We went up to Mario Gully and skied down.

Mini back-country skiing conditions report for Mario Gully in Rocky Mountain National Park: Skier’s left of the gully is usually great. Not today. It was a hard, icey crust with pockets of soft, pillowy snow that was obviously blown in. The gully proper was better, but has big holes and was a little chunky as it’s been heavily snowshoed.

Avy Conditions in RMNP

We went up into RMNP yesterday (Feb 18) and skinned to the top of the “Otis Redding Couloir“, at the base of Otis Peak on the south side of Chaos Canyon. I am not an avalanche expert, but we are definitely wary and keep an eye on things. It wasn’t pretty, and we bailed. Here’s the report I sent to CAIC.

We approached from the south (Loch Vale) and emerged just below the top of the gully. Decided to skin up and check out the steeper slopes. We noticed significant fracturing and set off a few small slides (~6-10″ deep) especially when cutting switchbacks near the top of the gully, north and northeast aspects. Dug a pit and found about four inches of powder with a 6″ thick soft slab below it. There were some crusty layers below, and then the rest of the snowpack below (4′?) was facets. The slab layer on top failed easily and cleanly after three or four thumps on an isolated column, AND we observed a natural slide (more of a slough) on a steep slope west of the couloir, and a big crown on a south-east aspect across Chaos Canyon.

We didn’t ski the gully due to conditions, but rather descended through trees and set off sloughs on most steeper slopes. Throughout much of the descent there was an obvious slab layer just below the recent snow with facets below.

It’s been snowing on and off since in Estes, and we’ve gotten 3-5 inches here in town since we got down…and it’s still coming down hard. Things are looking up for the early spring backcountry ski season!

Winter Trails Snowshoeing Recap

Yesterday, Phil worked helped dozens of folks into their first snowshoes at the Estes Park Winter Festival’s Winter Trails event. I volunteered at the registration booth and then went up to Emerald Lake with our friends John and Meghan in the afternoon. It was their first time out on snowshoes and first time in the national park in many many years. I skied in and kept my skins on for the way out because there were so many people on the trail.

Skiing Saint Vrain Mountain (with photos)

I love the warm, dazed afterglow of a day spent climbing cold, windy mountains. Matt, Apryle and I just got back from an impeccable day afield in the northern Indian Peaks. In search of early winter turns, we have been skiing around Rock Creek over the past week. Today we headed further up, to Saint Vrain Mountain. The ascent was bony, not much snow left on the south facing hillsides. Just below treeline, the fragile snowpack spoke to us in deep booming “whumpfs!” as we skinned higher and higher. We stayed off the steeper slopes and nothing cut loose on us. Had to carry the gear on the tundra trail with impressive views into Wild Basin and up to the Divide, while beating up into the wind. We skied about halfway up Saint Vrain and decided to get on with the down!

The descent was phenomenal. Windpacked powder up high and knee-deep fluff in the trees below. The road back to the car was packed and fast. The story of the day was written on our faces; as we passed a cross-country skier she noted “you guys sure look happy!” Six of the best hours I’ve spent outside in a while, to be certain.